The Fire That Consumes
by Todd186
Summary: The Master reigns over the four nations. He has eliminated any known benders other than himself. When he recieves word of a last FIrebender, things spiral out of control in his search for her. Please read and review!
1. The Last Firebender

_**The Fire That Consumes**_

**Part One: The Sparks**

1

The Last Firebender

The servant approached the Master. The only sound that echoed through the great hall was that of worn shoes scuffling along the marble floor. At last, the servant met the steps leading up to the throne upon which the Master was perched. The servant got down on his knees and lowered his head so he could not see into the Master's eyes.

"Speak." he commanded.

The servant's voice was shaky, he didn't want to be delivering this news, "We have gotten word of a… of a…."

"Spit it out, boy!" the Master ordered.

"A Firebender." the servant shook with fear. He had heard what had happened to some of the messengers that had delivered news that the Master was not pleased with. He knew that this was not pleasing news since the Master had worked hard to make sure there were no longer any benders in the world.

The Master took in a deep breath. His nostrils flared as he let it out. He was trying to control his anger. Something that he had been taught how to do many years ago. "Who is it? Do you have this bender in chains?"

"N-no sir." the servant whispered, "But we believe her name is Azula."

The Master took this in. It couldn't be the Azula he knew. She had been dead for fifteen years. A thought crossed his mind that sent his rage out of control. Someone had named this child after the previous Firelord's daughter to anger the Master! Although he was not sure of it, the idea that this is why this girl had this name was angering him by the second.

The Master stood and the servant shook more. He walked down the steps and as he grew closer, the servant shook more erratically. It was several moments before the servant realized that the Master had passed him by and was now speaking with one of his guards.

"What do you know of this girl?" the Master asked.

The guard straightened his back and spoke, "She is to be about fifteen years of age. She is not fully trained and…"

"And?"

The guard gulped, "…and she is also capable of bending… lightning…"

The fury in the Master's eyes showed clearly. There was a fire brewing in his soul that was clear to everyone in the room. The heat around him grew as he clutched his fists and tried to retain the anger welling up inside him.

After a tense moment, the Master was calm and said, "Fetch me the general. Now!"

The guard scurried out and the Master crossed the room to a table with an oversized map of the world stretched out. Most of the land was shaded black. The few parts that were not were either labeled "UNINHABITED" or "HAZARDOUS".

"Where can this girl be?" the Master asked himself.

"Yes, sir?" the Master turned and the general stood a mere few feet away from him.

"Ah, General, I require your intelligence." he brought the General over to the table and then his friendly grip of the General's shoulder moved to the back of his neck and became angry. The Master forced the General's head down and whispered in his ear, "Where is the girl hiding? I know you are the only one who knows where all the suspected Firebenders live so tell me or I will burn villages down to find her."

"Please! Sir! I do not know!" the General said.

"You lie, my good sir." the Master gripped tighter and the General fell to the floor.

"You are a monster!" he sputtered and pushed himself away. Slowly, the General got to his feet and the Master grew closer, the rage growing in his eyes.

"GUARDS! Discipline this creature!" the Master ordered and he turned his back assuming that his guards were doing as they were told.

The flames in the vases behind the throne began to dance strangely and within a moment they sprang from their source and flew toward the Master. He jumped, the flames just missing him and knocking back the guards behind him. The Master turned on the balls of his feet in a fighting stance to see that his guards had betrayed him.

"You will not touch that girl." the General said and pushed a palm forward. The Master once again avoided the flames at his back and landed, his stance unbroken.

"You betray me, General." the Master said. He turned, arms in front of him and turned back to face the enemy, flames followed shortly after. The General locked his arms together in front of his face and broke them apart at the last moment to separate the oncoming fire.

The General inhaled deeply through his nostrils and held out his index and middle fingers pressed tightly together. The electricity around him grew with great intensity and soon sparks of lightning were falling from his fingers. "Goodbye, Master." the General said and jutted his fingers forward, sending a lightning bolt straight for the Master's chest.

The Master held out his two fingers and caught the lightning. The raw power ran through his body and the Master held out his other hand. The electricity exited his fingers and shot straight into the General's neck.

A necklace of lightning was created and the General writhed on the floor in agony. Soon the lightning stopped, having no electric source to draw from any longer. The General's heart stopped the same time the lightning dissipated.

"Indeed. Goodbye, General. Obviously I need to look no further for the parents of the child. But I know you well enough to know you wouldn't allow word to get out about this child of yours without sending her into hiding first. No matter. I shall find her with or without any help." the Master began walking back to his throne to think about what to do next.

"May I leave, Master Zuko?" the servant asked, then realizing his mistake tried to correct himself.

The Master narrowed his eyes and sent flames circulating tightly around the servant's body. "Please, sir! It was a mistake!"

"Ah, but the damage is done. Besides, you're just a servant. No skin off my nose."

When the flames died away, the burnt carcass of the servant fell to the floor. The Master merely stepped over it and resumed his place on the throne.

He muttered to himself, "No once calls me 'Zuko'."


	2. The Phantom's Crucifix

2

The Phantom's Crucifix

"Hurry child!" Mai whispered to the seven-year-old girl that was struggling to keep up behind her. Mai grabbed the girl's hand and practically dragged her through the winding streets of the city.

"Where are we going?" the girl's meek voice asked.

"I will explain in time, child. But please hurry!" Mai replied only glancing back to make sure the little girl hadn't fallen behind.

"Will mother and father meet us?" she asked.

Mai looked back and stared into the girl's eyes. She couldn't bring herself to break the bad news to the little doll. Her attention was drawn away from the girl as the crowd in the alley they were in began to part and screams were rising. Mai got just a glance of the head guard in his charcoal black and blood red uniform before she picked up the girl and ran through the streets.

The two of them rushed through the city, Mai breathing heavily. "Aunt Mai, can you please tell me where we're going?" the girl asked.

"Azula, please!" Mai took in deeper and deeper breaths. She let Azula down and fell to her knees, her hand on her chest as she struggled to breath. The few people left in the street scurried away as the guards circled Azula and Mai.

"Give us the girl and no harm will be brought to you." the main guard said, his voice bearing no trace of any emotion.

"No! Leave!" Mai breathed. At her protest, a wooden bat with studs all around it was brought down onto her back with great force. She fell flat on the ground and whispered in Azula's direction, "Run."

Azula tried to escape but the main guard picked her up, holding her at arm's length so her kicks and struggles could not reach him. "Leave her to die." he ordered and the guard's followed him down the street.

Mai struggled to get up but the pain was too much this time. She felt as though her heart were about to burst. Surely dying would be a release from all this madness. But could she enter the afterlife with the regret that she didn't sacrifice her last breath to help this poor child?

Mai collected all the strength she had left and stood, her knees wobbling. She held out her wrists toward the guard's backs and released the knives from her spring-loaded sleeves. The first knives dug deeply into the last guard's back.

He fell forward and remained motionless. The guard in front of the fallen turned and made a noise that made the other's turn and stare at the daggers plunged into his neck and wrists.

The guards advanced on Mai and she pressed two more knives into her sleeves. Hearing the click, she waited for the guards to get closer before she released them into two of their eyes. The blood from the wound shot out and gave Mai's pale skin a splattered pattern.

Mai worked her way through the crowd, relying mostly on her spring-loaded sleeves and then when finally the main guard was the only one left, she stole a knife from one of the guard's and shoved it into her sleeves.

Her weak hand shook as she pressed it into her sleeve and before she heard the click, she felt a sharp pain around her wrist. Fresh blood flowed down her hand and ran between her fingers.

Mai pulled her sleeve back and revealed the spring with the knife hooked to it, ready to launch. She noticed the slit that ran down the middle of her bulging blue vein. Blood was pumping from it and she was growing weaker yet. Her vision was blurry but she had years of practice at aiming.

In a last attempt to save Azula, Mai held out her wrist and with one eye closed tight, she forced a vein in her arm up that would hit the spring contraption and release the knife.

The razor sharp weapon flew fast through the air and it looked like it was going to just barely miss the guard's ear. But at just as the blade was about to soar past him, it turned slightly and took off a chunk of his ear as well as creating a slit along his temple.

He cursed at the pain and threw Azula away from him as he fell to his knees, dizzy. He held his hand to the slit and then felt his ear. Mai saw him fall and smiled. She gave her last breath to send Azula a message. "Run, child!" and then her eyes fluttered shut, the smile still on her face.

The guard wasn't focusing on Azula and when he realized that she was no longer in his arms he looked up to find her and snatch her up. But she wasn't there. The only thing in front of the guard was the knife that had injured him and the blood from his wound.

So many thoughts penetrated his mind but the one that frightened him the most was the one that wondered what the Master would do when he found out he had failed to capture a seven-year-old Firebender. The guard's eyes rolled into the back of his skull and he fainted from the fear of the Master's fury.

Azula hurried down the streets, glancing behind her every few feet to make sure that there was no one following her. She so wanted to go back to her Aunt Mai and help her but she could sense the seriousness in her voice and felt she should follow the orders. Plus, before they had left today Mai had told Azula that if she told her to leave by herself that she shouldn't' wait or come back for Mai. She could take care of herself.

And if they got separated, Azula was to keep running until she was out of the city. Then someone would meet her there and she was to go with them. Azula obeyed her Aunt's orders and ran until the sun in the sky was on the other side of the world. The shadows of the night both frightened and entranced Azula. But she didn't stop running.

Finally after two hours of searching for the entrance to the city, Azula stumbled upon a huge arch with aged and beaten Fire Nation symbols. They no longer held their beauty and brightness. Whereas they used to be bright red and would strike fear into the very core of any non-Fire Nation citizen they were now broken and the old paint was peeling off the rotted wood.

Azula crossed the boundary line and entered free territory. The free territory was ten yards in width and stretched around the entire city wall. Every city had this. It was not official that this was free territory but everyone knew it was. If you were running from the law in the city, all you had to was get into the safe zone and the law would no longer apply to you. As long as you stayed in that area. You couldn't throw anything or shoot anything at the law enforcers or those you were trying to escape or else you would now be back on the law's side. And you would always have to leave that area for food.

There were so many problems with it that the law allowed it to exist because it wasn't a real threat to keeping the world in line.

Azula crossed the line and was met with a man in a dark cloak with his hood pulled all the way up to hide his face. He held out a piece of wood that was two parentheses with a horizontal line cut through the middle with about an inch and a half sticking out on both sides.

Azula stepped back a few feet and then stepped forward again, remembering that she had to stay in the free territory. The man noticed that she wanted some space and stepped back.

"Are you Azula?" he asked in a deep, gruff voice that sounded like he obviously trying to hide his identity.

She nodded, unsure if she should trust this man. There had been known reports of guards being sent into the free territory to act like they were going to help but then bring the people back into the city and make sure they couldn't leave.

"Is your Aunt Mai coming?" he asked, still holding the piece of wood.

"I don't know. She was breathing really heavy back there and she didn't even try to run after me." Azula answered.

The man nodded and said, "Come with me."

Azula followed and asked, "What's your name?"

"Oh, of course. I'm sorry. My name is Sokka." the man pulled his hood back and revealed shoulder length hair with a ponytail at the peak of his head. He had stubble around his jaw and chin. He looked like he hadn't slept in days. His eyes showed years of fighting and anger. But they also showed compassion and kindness. Azula trusted this man.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"Somewhere safe." he said and grabbed her hand. He pulled his hood up and looked back and to their left and right. Then he darted across the light that the moon tossed onto the ground and brought Azula into the shadows where they couldn't be seen.

They walked through the forest, hearing footsteps and crumbling earth every now and then. Azula would look around but Sokka kept looking straight ahead. Finally they stopped in front of a tree with the symbol that the wood was shaped like carved into the tree.

"What's that thing?" she asked pointing to the piece of wood.

"It's the Phantom's Crucifix." Sokka said.

"The what?" she said.

"I'll explain later. But now…" he held the wooden piece in front of him and said, "Sokka." he handed it to Azula and told her, "Just hold it in front of you and state your name. So they know how many entrances to make."

"What?" she asked then knowing she wouldn't receive an answer said, "Azula."

She handed the piece of wood back to Sokka and the earth beneath their feet separated and they fell through. When they fell deep enough, the ground above their heads was pulled together and appeared on the surface as if nothing had happened.

Azula wondered if this was some trap and she was being buried alive but soon the dirt beneath her feet shifted and she fell into a chamber carved out of the earth. Under the earth.

The room was filled with bookcases and tables. Scrolls lay sprawled across the tables. Ink and quills lay on bare sheets of parchment. Azula fell on her end and stood up, observing the room.

Sokka fell from the ceiling and landed firmly on his feet. "Come. Someone wants to meet you." he lead Azula through several different chambers, the walls separating for them to walk through and then reforming. Every once in a while, someone would fall from the ceiling and then move about as if this was an everyday thing.

Finally they entered a chamber that had only a few scrolls. At the back of the room sat a man with his eyes closed in meditation. Sensing Sokka and Azula's presence, the man opened his eyes and greeted them, "Hello. You must be Azula."

She nodded and noticed an arrow tattoo on his head and along his arm. His chest was bare and his pants were brown. He had an orange silk belt around his stomach. His head was bald so his tattoo could be observed.

Sokka introduced them, "Azula, this is Aang. The Avatar."


	3. The Airbenders

3

The Airbenders

"You're the… Avatar?" Azula said with her jaw hanging wide open. The Avatar was said to be dead, along with all of his friends. They were said to have died in a freak accident.

"Yes, little one. Would you like to see something?" Aang asked. Azula nodded and the two of them walked together. They met a long corridor and Aang asked her questions as they walked. "How old are you?"

"Seven." she answered, her gaze still fixated on the arrow tattoo's that ran along his arms and from his back all the way to the top of his forehead. She wondered, if the Avatar state was real, if his tattoos glowed as well as his eyes.

"And where was the last time you saw your aunt?" Aang looked into her misty eyes. They reminded him of Princess Yue's eyes. The girl who gave her life for the moon spirit.

"She fell back in the city and when she told me to run, she didn't try to come after me." Azula explained.

"Oh." Aang thought Mai was well enough to make it. If only she had made it here, they could have had the Waterbenders help heal her. Every time Mai tried to help for the better, she was always held back. But this time it was for good.

"When do you think she'll get here?" Azula asked, looking up. She thought her aunt was the strongest person alive. She couldn't have been stopped by a few guards.

Aang didn't want to break it to her. But if he didn't, she would be blind and find out by herself. He didn't want her to feel the same way he felt when he found the remains of the Southern Air Temple.

He knelt down so he came face to face with her. He held her arms as he said, "She won't be coming, child. Aunt Mai has joined the afterlife. She was suffering from an injury. You didn't know it because she didn't want you to worry about her if you had to run. She knew you would try to help but what was most important was that you get here. You are safe now."

Azula didn't want to believe it. Couldn't believe it. If what he was saying was true then her aunt was… dead! Tears formed in her eyes and Aang held her close. She wrapped her arms around him as far as they would go and cried into his shoulder.

Secretly, Aang shed a few tears as well.

When Azula had finished crying, they set off down the corridor again. Aang didn't ask any more questions. That was enough for today. When they reached the end, there was a door in front of them. Strange for this underground city.

It had four spiral symbols in the center with pipes leading out from them. Aang took in a deep breath and forced air into the pipes. The symbols popped out and the door unlocked. He pushed and revealed an even larger chamber with children inside and a few adults.

It took Azula a few minutes to realize they had the same tattoos that Aang had. But what caught her attention the most was the fact that these children were creating gusts of wind and riding balls of air. She couldn't believe her eyes.

They were Airbenders!

She walked further into the room and everyone halted their activities as they noticed her clothes. Black with red trimming. The expression on the children's faces were all the same: Fear.

Before Aang could explain, one of the children shot a gust of wind that knocked Azula across the room and made her slide down the wall. Everyone's attention was locked on Azula though. Not because she had possibly gotten hurt but because before the air hit her, a flaming shield grew in front of her. It wasn't strong enough to stop her from flying across the room though.

The expression of fear that filled the room now changed to shock.

"Let me explain," Aang began, "Azula has joined us because we still have yet to acquire a Firebender. And to get into the palace, we need one. She has not fully realized her abilities but we believe that she will be a great source of help in our plan to take down the Master. In time, she will learn Firebending from me and we will be able to unleash our plan on the palace. Until then, make Azula feel as welcome as a fellow Air Nomad."

Aang quickly ushered her out of the room. When the wall closed behind them he began speaking again, "You must learn to control your bending."

Azula was at a loss for words. She didn't know she could bend any of the elements. All the benders in her home village were supposed to be dead. She looked at Aang with a confused look.

"You didn't know you could Firebend?" he asked.

"Of course not! I thought they were all dead. I haven't known what was going on since I left my home!" Azula explained.

"I see… well let's get this scrape tended to. Nothing worse than getting dirt in a cut." Azula looked at her arm and realized that when she hit the wall, a stray rock cut her as she slid down. Since the walls were made of dirt, the chance for infection was high.

When Aang finally reached the chamber he wanted, the wall opened and he led Azula inside. The room was full of Waterbenders tending to the injured. A women that looked to be the same age as Aang walked up. She was wearing a blue dress and had a necklace that meshed well with her dress. Her hair was down in waves.

"Hello, Aang. Who is this?" she asked, gesturing toward Azula.

And introduced them, "This is Azula. Azula, this is Katara."


End file.
